The tropical tube is soft in colour with a slightly pink tint... you will not see this in your set up however and it will not appear pink in any way, but your fishes colours will be gently enhanced. In contrast, the Sunlight tube, by its very nature is the most efficient and produces the most light, which is ideal where you are trying to grow plants or where good light penetration is required.

When should I change my Aqua One T8 Fluorescent Tubes?

The light output of any fluorescent tube falls over time and, sadly, after six to eight months at maximum they have given their best and should be exchanged. Old tubes wont show your fish off and wont encourage plant growth but will encourage all kinds of nuisance algae growth. Do you have some bright green slime algae? How about that awful black beard algae? The growth of both of these common aquarium pests is closely linked to older lighting with a decreased spectral output. Once you have an algae bloom its not so easy to get rid of so do invest in fresh new Aqua One tubes on a regular basis.

Can I use different colour tubes in my Aqua One aquarium?

Sure you can. It's part of the fun of having an aquarium and making small changes keeps things fresh and interesting. Fish will adjust quite quickly you will find. New tubes can often appear often brighter and really quite different to the old tubes so give your self a few days to grow accustomed to any changes you make. Also bare in mind that differing tubes can make your fish look different in terms of their colour - don't worry, they haven't changed one bit, its just the way the new light affects our eyes.